The present invention relates to a system for the positioning and assembling of a mobile element on a drive system, and more particularly of a vehicle window on a window regulator.
The assembly of a window on a window regulator has, for a long time, been a delicate operation and numerous solutions have been proposed for improving assembly and positioning of the window in its supporting system.
It is essential to obtain small tolerances of positioning of the window with respect to the window regulator, as small tolerances allow a good adjustment of the window in the seals of the door in raised position and, for example, reduce the problems of tightness, air noises or vibrations of the window at high speed.
In order to reduce these tolerances and to ensure correct assembly of the window with respect to the different adjacent fixed elements, it is necessary to be able to adjust the position of the window on the window regulator, particularly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, before fixing the window definitively on said window regulator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,930 describes a system for adjustably assembling the window in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is applicable to a window presenting a hole allowing a protuberance defined by said Patent to be housed therein.
The subject matter of this U.S. Patent presents several drawbacks, consisting, in particular, in the fact that the window must be provided with a hole and must be able to withstand the pressure exerted by the two clamping parts, which is not always compatible with the windows used, whether it be due to the type of window used, such as the window without hole, or due to the material used for manufacturing the window, for example so-called laminated windows which do not withstand either the holes or the pressure.
Another drawback of this known system of assembly is that the fixation means is only accessible from the so-called wet side of the vehicle door, this raising problems of accessibility for the person responsible for assembly in the case of the window regulator being fixed on the door before the window is definitively positioned, and for the operator in charge of changing the window in the event of the latter being defective.
For example, in order to ensure correct positioning of the window before it is definitively fixed, one can proceed as follows: the adapters are stuck on the window, then the window is inserted in the door so that the adapters are placed on the sliders of a window regulator. The window is then pushed in abutment against the vertical upright of the vehicle door, and thereafter, is mounted in raised position. During this ascending movement, the window will be positioned in the longitudinal direction with respect to the vertical upright of the door, the adaptors having, at this stage, the possibility of being translated longitudinally with respect to the sliders. If, when the window is in raised position, the sliders are hidden, for example by a bar reinforcing the door, the window cannot be fixed definitively in this position. The window must therefore be lowered by a certain amount, while conserving its position with respect to the sliders, in order to be able to be fixed definitively.
In the case of the system of assembly disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,930, the accessibility of the fixation means raises problems for the manipulator, as the clamping element is only accessible from the wet side of the door.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks.
In a system for positioning and assembling a mobile element such as a window on and with a drive device such as a window regulator of an automobile vehicle, of the type comprising a so-called adapter element fixed to the mobile element or window, a slider element guided in at least one rail fast with a vehicle door and driven by a drive device housed in said door, a confining element and a fixation means capable of connecting the adapter, the slider and the confining element, the adapter being held between said slider and said confining element, the object of the invention is attained in that:
the adapter presents a first substantially vertical extension in line with the mobile element or window as well as a second extension in the longitudinal direction of the mobile element or window,
the slider is provided with a third extension in the longitudinal direction of the window, with at least one guide block fast with an element of the drive device and guided along a rail, as well as with a vertical wall comprising a contact surface capable of cooperating with one of the faces of the first extension of the adapter of which the second extension cooperates with the third extension of the slider so as to allow a slight relative movement between the adapter and the slider, under the action of a longitudinal force applied to the window before fixation thereof,
the confining element comprises a second contact surface, and
the fixation means cooperates with the confining element so as to block the first extension of the adapter between said first and second contact surfaces.
The invention thus allows the window to be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle thanks to the action of the third extension of the slider on the second extension of the adapter. This contact creates a force capable of maintaining the mobile element in its definitive position before its final fixation, effected by said first extension of the adapter being held between the two contact surfaces and the action of the fixation means. It is possible to use one sole system according to the invention, but the hold of the mobile element or window is better ensured with two systems.
As mentioned hereinabove, the invention relates more particularly to the assembling of a mobile window of a vehicle on a window regulator.
The adapters may be fixed on the mobile element or window by clamping or clipping, for example through holes made in the window, if the properties of the material or the shape of the window allow this.
According to an advantageous characteristic, the adapters are fixed on the window by adhesion, in order to satisfy the requirements of the type of windows used, such as so-called laminated windows.
In certain cases, the second extension may advantageously be constituted by two parts which form a clamp in order best to hold the third extension of the slider. These two parts of the clamp may also be provided with hooks to allow drive of the window during lowering thereof before it is definitively fixed.
According to a particular characteristic, the third extension is drawn out or elongated in the longitudinal direction of the window, in order to allow a considerable translation of the adapter along this third extension.
According to another characteristic, the third extension is constituted by a substantially cylindrical part, which facilitates introduction of the third extension between the two parts forming clamp and constituting the second extension.
The contact surfaces of the second extension of the adapter and those of the third extension of the slider are advantageously provided with substantially vertical teeth.
This characteristic makes it possible to increase the force of hold of the slider in the second clamp-shaped extension by action of the teeth of the two extensions imbricating in one another.
The teeth made on the third extension of the slider may be constituted by a thread, which makes it possible to use an element connected to said slider.
At least one of the faces of the first extension is provided with substantially horizontal teeth, and at least one surface of the first contact surface and/or of the second contact surface, opposite the face of the first extension, is provided with teeth substantially parallel to the teeth of the first extension.
This characteristic makes it possible to increase the force of hold of said adapter between the contact surfaces, by pressure between the teeth, thanks to the fixation means and limits the possibility of tear of the adapter from the holding system.
The particular shape of the teeth allows the first extension to be coupled between the slider and the confining element and prevents accidental uncoupling of the first extension.
According to a particular characteristic, the slider is provided with a tongue and the confining element is pierced with a hole to allow passage of said tongue. This characteristic facilitates pre-hold of the confining element by the slider before definitive fixation by said fixation means.
The slider is pierced with at least one first hole to allow passage of the fixation means towards the confining element.
The assembly constituted by a slider and a confining element may be made in one piece. The pivotal mobility of the confining element with respect to the slider is produced thanks to the elasticity and the shape of the connection of said confining element with said slider. This has the advantage of reducing the number of components and of facilitating positioning of the confining element with respect to the slider.
The adapter is pierced with a recess, located opposite the first hole of the slider, to allow passage of the fixation means.
According to a particular characteristic, the confining element is pierced with at least one second hole preferably located opposite the first hole of the slider to allow passage of the fixation means. The confining element may also be pierced on its outer face with a third hole, located in line with the recess of the adapter, to house and hold a part of the fixation means. In particular, the third hole may present the shape of a nut, in the case of the fixation systems being screw-nut systems, the screw being accessible from the dry side of the vehicle door.
Where the fixation means is constituted by a self-tapping screw, this screw will pass in the first hole and will be screwed in the second hole. This type of screw enables the number of components to be reduced.
According to another characteristic, the slider is provided with stops which serve as bearing for the lower edge of the first extension of the adapter when the adapter and therefore the window are positioned on the slider. Another advantage when there are at least two systems according to the invention per window, is that one of the adapters comes into abutment on the corresponding slider, while the other adapter is not necessarily in abutment on the second slider, which allows the angular clearance in the plane of the window to be taken up.
Another advantage of the invention consists in that the fixation means may be positioned by one side or by the other with respect to the window.